Three-quarters of all non-natural or suicide deaths in area prisons last year were related to the use of synthetic cannabinoids behind bars, according to inmate mortality data.

Three Panhandle prison complexes — Century, Blackwater River, and Santa Rosa correctional institutions — saw a huge jump in inmate deaths in 2017, from six in 2016 to 27 in 2017.

As of March, when the News Journal published a piece on the violence, contraband and staffing issues that authorities believe led to that spike, the investigative summaries on those inmate deaths were not yet available.

But, a review of summaries now available shows that a large percentage of those inmates whose causes of death have been determined note Spice or K2 use in the hours before they died.

Eleven of the 27 inmate deaths are still under investigation, but of the 16 that have been closed with an attached investigative summary, two were ruled as suicides, six natural and two accidents. Six more have been ruled an accident, but specifically involved Spice use.

Some died in their cells as their cellmates tried to wake them up. Others had been unconscious for a while in bathrooms or on floors. In one case, the death of Jaequez Jones in July at SRCI, investigators found a half-smoked handmade cigarette near his body. Jones’ cellmate said he kicked the cell door trying to get the guards’ attention to help, but it took 15 to 20 minutes for them to respond.

Another inmate, Torrance Jones at Blackwater River, died in April after he’d been walking around the prison’s dayroom stumbling and falling and had to be subdued with pepper spray while he was kicking and flailing on the floor. He died soon after.

FDC has been dealing with the issue of increased contraband and subsequent violence for the last year as inmates get brazen and creative with substance use.

FDC spokesman Patrick Manderfield said the department started examining how to address the rise of in-custody deaths at the start of 2018.

“Contraband within prisons is a national epidemic, and Florida is no exception,” he said. “The influx of contraband, specifically synthetic and homemade drugs, is a contributing factor to the increase in inmate violence and in-custody deaths. Homemade versions of K2 or Spice are especially harmful, often containing hazardous ingredients like household chemicals and poisons.”

Inmate deaths are investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FDC’s Department of the Inspector General and often the State Attorney’s Office when the cases are criminal, such as homicide.

A spokesman for FDLE deferred comment about investigation of Spice-related deaths to FDC, and Assistant State Attorney James Parker said his agency’s involvement with drug-related deaths is limited.

Manderfield said FDC began looking into preliminary causes of death before the summaries were officially completed to determine what solutions were needed.

He said the department has since increased searches of inmates, staff and visitors and added additional searches of cells and perimeters to identify contraband, as well as increased K-9 searches.

The Office of Intelligence will expand efforts to combat gang activity and contraband introduction, he said.

FDC held a public forum late last month to field response to a suggestion that inmate visitation be reduced in an effort to further restrict potential contraband.

That move was met with significant backlash, including from local families, and the department is still working to determine what changes, if any, to make to visitation.

In all of the Spice-related deaths, investigative agencies chose not to take any further disciplinary action because the deaths are determined to be accidental and not caused by another person.